Reflexive Verbs in -ties

Level 2

A reflexive verb ends in -ties: mazgāties (to wash oneself), mācīties (to study). In the present its endings are -os, -ies, -as, -amies, -aties: es mazgājos (I wash myself), mēs mazgājamies (we wash ourselves).

How It Works

1. Two patterns.

  • mazgāties (to wash oneself): es mazgājos, tu mazgājies, viņš/viņa mazgājas, mēs mazgājamies, jūs mazgājaties, viņi/viņas mazgājas
  • mācīties (to study, to learn): es mācos, tu mācies, viņš/viņa mācās, mēs mācāmies, jūs mācāties, viņi/viņas mācās

The only difference is one vowel. When the plain he/she form ends in a short -a (viņš māca, he teaches), the reflexive forms have a long ā: mācās, mācāmies, mācāties. Other verbs keep a short a: viņš mazgā → mazgājas, viņš ceļ → ceļas. The he, she and they forms are always the same: viņa mācās, viņi mācās.

2. Common verbs. The stem is the one you know from the present of the plain verb (see also second-conjugation verbs and verbs like lasīt):

  • celties (to get up): ceļos, celies, ceļas
  • justies (to feel): jūtos, jūties, jūtas
  • tikties (to meet): tiekos, tiecies, tiekas
  • smieties (to laugh): smejos, smejies, smejas
  • priecāties (to be glad): priecājos, priecājies, priecājas
  • interesēties (to be interested): interesējos, interesējies, interesējas

3. What the ending does.

  • The action is done to yourself: mazgāt (to wash something) → mazgāties (to wash oneself), ģērbt (to dress someone) → ģērbties (to get dressed).
  • The verb has a meaning of its own: mācīt (to teach) → mācīties (to study, to learn). Some verbs, like smieties and priecāties, are only used with -ties.
  • People do something with each other: tikties (to meet), runāties (to chat). See doing something together.
  • Something happens by itself: Durvis atveras. (The door opens.) See things that happen by themselves.

4. No extra word for "myself". The ending already says it, so everyday Latvian says Es mazgājos (I wash myself) rather than adding sevi. The pronoun sevi is for other verbs: Viņš domā par sevi. (He thinks about himself.) A reflexive verb can still have an object: Es mācos latviešu valodu. (I am learning Latvian.)

5. Ne- and prefixes go at the front. -ties always stays at the end: nemazgājos (I do not wash), apģērbties (to get dressed), piecelties (to stand up) → es pieceļos.

The past and future forms, such as mācījos (I studied) and mācīšos (I will study), are in reflexive verbs in the past and future.

Examples (6)

  1. Es mācos latviešu valodu.

    I am learning Latvian.

    Mācīt means to teach; mācīties means to study or learn. The language is its accusative object.

  2. Katru rītu es mazgājos un ģērbjos.

    Every morning I wash and get dressed.

    Two reflexive verbs: mazgāties and ģērbties, both with the es ending -os.

  3. Bērni mācās skolā.

    The children study at school.

    Viņi mācās has a long ā, because the plain form is viņi māca.

  4. Kā tu jūties?

    How are you feeling?

    Justies (to feel) → tu jūties.

  5. Mēs tiekamies pie kafejnīcas sešos.

    We are meeting outside the café at six.

    Tikties (to meet) → mēs tiekamies, with the ending -amies.

  6. Viņa vienmēr smejas par maniem jokiem.

    She always laughs at my jokes.

    Smieties exists only as a reflexive verb: smejos, smejies, smejas.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the plain verb when you mean that you are studying.

    Es mācu latviešu valodu.
    Es mācos latviešu valodu.

    Es mācu latviešu valodu is a real sentence, but it means I teach Latvian. To say that you are the one learning, use the reflexive mācīties: es mācos.

  • Writing a short a in the he, she and they form of mācīties.

    Viņa mācas universitātē.
    Viņa mācās universitātē.

    The plain form viņa māca ends in a short -a, so the reflexive form has a long ā: mācās, mācāmies, mācāties.

  • Dropping -ies from the we form when you mean to meet.

    Mēs tiekam rīt.
    Mēs tiekamies rīt.

    Tiekam is a form of tikt (to get somewhere). To say we are meeting tomorrow, use the reflexive tikties, whose we form ends in -amies: tiekamies.

How It Connects

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Reflexive Verbs in -tiesLevel 2

Learn This First

Reflexive infinitives end in -ties instead of -t, and their present forms use reflexive endings.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

-ties